Light shade



J. ULETT LIGHT SHADE Feb. 3, 1942.

Filed Sept. 9, 1940 Patented Feb. 3, 1942 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHT SHADE Johnl Ulett, St. Louis, Mo. Application September 9, 1940, Serial No. 355,923

(Cl. 24U-138) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to light shades; and has special reference to shades having means in connection therewith for engaging the outer ends of electricA light bulbs to support theshades thereon in selected adjusted positions.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved light shade adapted to extend along and about any selected area of an electric light bulb to shade or obstruct the light through the area covered by the shade; to provide means in connection with the shade for engaging the outer end portion of the electric light bulb to which the shade is applied to support the shade in the selected adjustment adjacent to the bulb, to limit inward movement of the shade along the bulb without covering any extensive area of the bulb or coniining the heat when the bulb is lighted; and to arrange such supporting means in a relationship to permit pivotal movement of the shade in different angular positions, as required to obstruct and shade the light over thev area desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shade for an electric light .bulb having relatively narrow strips in connection therewith for engaging and embracing the outer end portion of the bulb to which the shade is applied to permit pivotal movement of the shade to different adjusted positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the bulb; and to provide an insulation in connection with said supporting means for direct engagement with the bulb to prevent damage to the bulb or to said supporting means when the bulb is heated by incandescence of the filament.

Other objects will lappear from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side edge elevation of my improved shade applied to a conventional electric light bulb shown in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is an inner side elevation of the shade apart from the bulb.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the shade.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my improved shade of the form and type shown in Fig. 1, provided with insulation on the supporting means for the shade.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a shade of elongated form applied to a conventional elongated light bulb shown in broken lines.

Fig. 6 is an inner side elevation of the shade as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a shade provided With resilient eXpansi-ble and contractable supporting strips.

The device shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, is designed particularly for attachment to la light bulb including a substantially spherical outer portion I and a cylindrical neck portion 2. As shown, the shade `comprises an approximately circular plate 3 curved transversely in one direction in substantial conformity with the curvature of the spherical portion I of the bulb for which the device is intended. The vertical diametrical Width of the plate 3 is preferably greater than the diameter of the spherical portion I of the bulb. Before being curved to its nal form, the transverse diameter of the plate 3 is also in excess of the transverse diameter of the spherical portion I of the bulb.

'I'he plate 3 is curved symmetrically to the form shown in Fig. 3, and a narrow continuous strip 4 of resilient and easily bendable metal has both of its ends 5 attached to diametrically opposite marginal portions of the curved edges of the plate 3. The strip 4 cooperates with the plate 3 to form an enclosing band to extend around the spherical portion I of the bulb and thereby hold the plate 3 against or closely adjacent to the bulb in a manner to obstruct or shade that entire side of the bulb. rThe strip 4 may be turned around the bulb to which it is applied to hold the shade 3 at any side of said bulb. Anarrow continuous strip 6 of resilient and easily bendable metal has one end 'I attached to the strip 4 midway of the length of the latter and its opposite end 8 attached to the inner side of the plate 4 in the space between the ends of the strip 4 and diametrically opposite from the attached end T. The strip S extends over the upper surface of the spherical portion I of the bulb and thereby supports the shade in a selected adjustment lon and limits inward movement of the shade along the bulb without covering any extensive area of the bulb or conning the heat when the bulb is lighted. These strips 4 and S attached to the bulb and to each other in this particular manner permit pivotal movement of the shade to different angular positions with respect to the spherical portion I of the bulb, as required to obstruct and shade the light over any area desired. The strips 4 and 6 will yield or expand in conformity with the heat to which they are subjected when the bulb is lighted and, therefore, will not compress or otherwise damage the bulb under varying temperatures, nor will they coniine the heat with resulting damage to the bulb.

If desired, the inner surfaces of the strips 4 and 6 may be provided with coats or layers of insulation 9 and I0, respectively, as shown in Fig. 3. This insulation may be yielding and elastic to prevent marring or damaging the light bulb under changing conditions.

The device shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is specially designed and adapted to be applied to a bulb having a rounded outer portion II and a cylindrical neck portion I2. The parts comprising the shade, which are analogous to the parts already described, have the same reference numerals with exponents applied thereto.

'Ihe shade 3 is of elongated shape in conformity with the elongated shape of the bulb for which the device is intended. The strips 4 and 6 attached to each other and to the shade 3 limit inward movement of the shade along the bulb without covering any extensive area of the bulb other than the part covered by the shade 3', and permit pivotal movement of the shade to diiferent angular positions as required to obstruct and shade the light over any area desired.

The strips 4 and 6 shown in Fig. '7 are resilient expansible and contractable supports. The strip 4 has bowed portions I3 and the strip G has a bowed portion I4. These bowed portions I3 `and I4 are resilient and permit the strips to be expanded in order to pass onto bulbs of larger size than would otherwise be possible.

This device may be made at relatively low cost; and, since it is easily movable to dierent adjusted positions in connection with the bulb, and cannot easily become displaced and detached, it attains its objects and purposes in a highly efficient and satisfactory manner. The construction rand arrangement of the parts may be Varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from the nature and principle of the invention.

I claim:

l. A shade for an electric light bulb comprising a plate having a uniform radius of curvature about a longitudinal axis parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bulb for which it is intended, a continuous narrow resilient and easily bendable metallic strip attached to said plate at substantial distances from its upper and lower ends and cooperating with said strip to form a continuous annulus arranged to t around the light bulb and hold the central portion of said plate adjacent thereto while the ends of said plate extend substantial distances from said bulb, and an additional narrow resilient and easily bendable metallic strip having one end attached tothe inner side of said plate between the ends of said first strip and at substantial distances from the i upper and lower ends of said plate and having its opposite end attached to said first named strip diametrically opposite from the point at which said second strip is attached to said plate, said second strip being arranged to extend over the outer end of the light bulb and limit inward movement of the shade relative to the bulb.

2. A shade for an electric light bulb comprising a plate curving only about a longitudinal axis parallel with the longitudinal axis of the 'bulb vwhen the shade is attached thereto, and a pair of continuous narrow resilient and easily bendable metallic strips one of which has its ends attached to the margins of said plate at substantial distances from its upper and lower ends and the other of which has one end attached to said plate between the ends of said first strip and at substantial distances from the ends of said plate and has its opposite end attached to said first named strip, said strips being arranged to extend around the upper end portion of the light bulb and to hold the central portion of said plate adjacent to the bulb while the ends of said plate extend substantial distances from the bulb and fto permit pivotal movement of said plate to different angular positions as required to obstruct and shade the light over any desired area of the bulb.

3. A shade for an electric light bulb comprising a plate curving only about a longitudinal axis parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bulb when the shade is attached thereto, a pair of narrow resilient and easily bendable continuous metallic strips one of which has both of its ends attached to the margins of said plate at substantial distances from its upper and lower ends and the other of which has one end attached to said plate between the ends of said one strip and at substantial distances from the ends of said plate and has its opposite end attached to said first named strip, said strips being arranged to extend around the upper end portion of the light bulb and to hold the central portion of said plate adjacent to the bulb while the ends of said plate extend substantial distances from the bulb and to permit pivotal movement of said plate to different angular positions as required to obstruct and shade the light over any desired area of the bulb, and insulation attached to the inner surfaces of said strips arranged to engage directly against the bulb and support said strips out of direct contact therewith.

4. A shade for an electric light bulb comprising a plate curving only about a longitudinal axis parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bulb when the shade is attached thereto, a pair of continuous narrow resilient and easily bendable metallic strips one of which has its ends attached to the margins of said plate and substantial distances from its upper and lower ends and the other of which has one end attached to said plate between the ends of said one strip and its other end attached to said one strip midway of the ends of the latter, and resilient bowed portions formed in integral connection with said strips and permitting the strips to be expanded to pass onto bulbs of different sizes, said strips being arranged to extend around ,the upper end portion of a light bulb to hold the central portion of said plate adjacent to the bulb and the ends of said plate extended substantial distances from the bulb and to permit pivotal movement of said plate to diiferent angular positions relative to the axis of the bulb.

J OI-IN ULETT. 

